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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613583">Earworm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisdomofme/pseuds/wisdomofme'>wisdomofme</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Season 1, Soulmate AU, Yes I'm back on my Perfect Harmony bullshit, sue me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:21:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisdomofme/pseuds/wisdomofme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em> definition. a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind. </em><br/> </p>
<p>In a world where you can hear the songs that get stuck in your soulmate's head, Luke Patterson only has his music. He convinces himself that it's enough.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex &amp; Julie Molina &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie, Alex &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Kelly's Picks</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Earworm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So this one got away from me... Also I've listened to Perfect Harmony for at least 6 continuous hours. I have zero regrets about that.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Luke turns twelve he decides that his soulmate is music.</p>
<p>His parents thought that it was a way of him coping with the fact that he didn’t have a soulmate when all his friends did but Luke could feel it in his bones, he was right. Reggie had explained what it was like, to have the echo of music he didn’t quite recall listening to playing in the back of his mind and it might not be exactly the same but Luke knew the feeling. It’s just that his echo had never been heard by anyone but him- it was just his music. So, Luke learns how to write music and begins taking lessons and his parents buy him a guitar because they feel sorry for him and he starts highschool and then he meets Alex. Alex is a musician just like Luke and Reggie, he’s a drummist, he’s-</p>
<p>Someone else who didn’t have a soulmate.</p>
<p>Luke explains to him how he decided what his soulmate was and Alex’s face lights up like Luke has given him hope and Luke decides that it’s time to show the world the music in his mind. The three of them begin practicing at lunchtime and one day Bobby overhears and just like that Sunset Curve is born.</p>
<p>And then Luke dies at seventeen and he realizes that his lack of soulmate might have been a mercy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hearing Julie sing for the first time is like finding the answer to a question Luke didn’t know he had been asking. Her voice was all he could think about, her mother’s song repeating over and over in his mind. It was like a drug, and he was more than happy to be addicted. He spent an entire day resisting the temptation of mentally adding backing instrumentals to the song. It was her mother’s song and even he didn’t need Alex to tell him that it would be wildly inappropriate.</p>
<p>Instead he rummaged through the studio until he found his discarded songbook, worn and bundled up in his bag of clothing. Julie’s voice reminded him of a song he hadn’t thought complete enough to record before he died, but Bright fit her range perfectly. He spent a few hours messing around with the chords with her style in mind and… Yeah, that’s what the song had always been missing. Julie.</p>
<p>When he showed Julie the song later that night he barely had to explain anything before she was singing it just like he had imagined. It was like she worked on the same wavelength as him, like she had taken the song directly from his mind. Luke grinned, his heart swelling with a passion he had thought he’d never be able to get back, as he realized exactly how well the two of them could work together.</p>
<p>After the assembly in the gym, after they were <em>seen</em> by other people, after they played for the entire school, Luke was flooded with song ideas. With fragments of melodies and lyrics that seem to cycle through his head on repeat. He’d never been so inspired before, it was like Julie had breathed new life into his music and he couldn’t let it slip away. It didn’t take much to convince her to spend the weekend writing songs, with the tail end of the adrenaline rush from performing still seeping through her veins. She was just as eager to write as he was.</p>
<p>So of course, in typical Alex fashion, Alex has a crisis on Saturday night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Luke and Julie were both perched on the piano bench, Julie relegated to playing duty once they discovered that Luke could only press a single key at a time, while Luke scribbled down their ideas in his book. They had just finished the chorus for a song they had tentatively named ‘Great’ and were trying to nail down the second verse when Alex poofed into existence in the middle of the room. Neither of them even had a moment to be surprised before he was rushing towards them.</p>
<p>“Luke! Do you know a song that goes-” Alex hummed a few bars of a song, slightly pitchy from what Luke could only assume was an oncoming panic attack.</p>
<p>Could ghosts have panic attacks? If they could then Alex was long overdue.</p>
<p>Luke tried to think, humming the melody himself as he wracked his brain for anything that sounded similar. Alex’s eyes bored into him from the other side of the piano, his hand clenched into fists on the wood top like he was trying to hold himself together. Luke felt like a hole opened in his gut as he shook his head and he watched Alex’s panic grow.</p>
<p>Then Julie cleared her throat and both of the boys snapped their heads towards her. “Um,” she started, nervous now that she had their undivided attention. “I think I know the song.” </p>
<p>Alex walked around the side of the piano as Julie pulled her phone out of her pocket. She pressed a few buttons on the screen and then a tune began to play through the tinny speaker. Both of them watched Alex begin to pace as the song played. The panic on his face transformed into a concentrated frown as the music began, his head slowly bobbing to the beat and his fingers tapping out the rhythm against his crossed arms as only a drummist could. It seemed like that was how the entire song was going to continue, Luke and Julie both watching with concern as Alex refused to explain what was going on, but then the song reached it’s chorus and Alex’s entire face lit up.</p>
<p>“That’s it!” He stepped towards them, his face alight with wonder as his hands reached up to run though his hair. “I’ve never heard that song before. Never, not once- but it’s been playing in my head all day!”</p>
<p>Julie chuckled under her breath, “I mean, you do have twenty five years worth of music to catch up on.”</p>
<p>But Alex wasn’t finished. “I have a soulmate, I-”</p>
<p>Luke jumped up from the piano bench, walking straight through Julie so he could wrap his arms around Alex’s shoulders, bringing him into a hug just before a sob broke from his chest. Alex’s hands fisted in the front of Luke’s shirt, his body shaking even as Luke felt his smile press against his collar bone.</p>
<p>“It’s Willie- I went to see him cause the song was driving me nuts but then he was humming it while we were together and-” The words fell from Alex’s lips like a torrent as tears soaked through Luke’s shirt. “And there’s someone out there for me. I’m not unloveable.”</p>
<p>Luke knew that Alex was talking about the words that his parents had hurled at him when he came out. His once pitied lack of soulmate had painted a target on Alex’s back for barbed words and snide comments. So Luke tried not to take it personally, really he did. </p>
<p>But unloveable was a heavy word.</p>
<p>Luke pressed a kiss to the side of Alex’s head and held him tighter, rocking back and forth as he whispered his congratulations and happiness into his hair. Luke didn’t realize that Julie had left until Reggie reappeared from the house, saying that Julie had told him that something was going on.</p>
<p>Predictably, Reggie began tearing up the moment Alex told him, but he couldn’t contain his smile as he stepped into the hug.</p>
<p>“You deserve this, man,” Reggie whispered as he clapped Alex on the back, the three of them pressing their foreheads together. “Don’t waste it. Be happy.”</p>
<p>Julie returned to the studio the next morning like nothing had happened. Her only acknowledgement of the previous night was to quietly congratulate Alex when she walked in, a warm smile filling her face and her fingers twitching like she wanted to reach out and hug him. Alex's lips twitched like he wanted to hug her back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alex having a soulmate became normal faster than Luke would've thought. It helped that Luke liked Willie. He was cool and introduced the three of them to that awesome ghost club, so when Luke told Alex that he was happy for him he meant it sincerely.</p>
<p>And Luke had music so what did he need a soulmate for anyway?</p>
<p>The topic didn't come up again until a few nights later. It was one of those lovely afternoons where Ray had taken Carlos to one of his baseball matches and the boys were free to roam. Julie had suggested a movie, since there would be no one around to call her crazy for talking to thin air, and Reggie whined until all three of them relented and let him choose the movie.</p>
<p>After Star Wars was vetoed Reggie ended up choosing a rom-com, but really they all should've seen that coming. </p>
<p>The story was just your typical cheesy romance fair, about a woman who was desperately searching for her soulmate but all the while the perfect guy was right in front of her. Things didn't crash and burn until Reggie started throwing popcorn at the tv screen.</p>
<p>"Boo!" He jeered, taking a second handful of Julie’s popcorn just to throw when he was upset. "That's not how soulmates work!"</p>
<p>Luke huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes. "You mean you can't listen to specific songs on repeat to send your soulmate coded messages?"</p>
<p>Alex snorted. "That'd be too easy."</p>
<p>"Exactly!" Reggie nodded as he tipped his remaining popcorn back into the bowl now that the movie had moved on. Julie made a face at the snack that she had been previously enjoying and quietly placed the bowl on the floor. "And it's never the stuff you want that gets stuck in your head."</p>
<p>"Mhmm! It's always like the really weird stuff." Alex leant forward so he could look past Luke to Reggie. "Like Willie keeps getting this awful toothpaste jingle stuck in his head and it's the worst!"</p>
<p>Reggie laughed and clapped his hands. "Ha! A toothpaste jingle- dude that's child's play. When I was ten I had three notes, three notes, from the news opening stuck in my head for two weeks!"</p>
<p>Luke laughed so hard he snorted. "That sounds like the worst." No longer paying attention to the movie, Luke looked over the back of the sofa to where Julie sat on the other side of Reggie and asked, "Hey Julie. What's the worst thing your soulmate has gotten stuck in their head?"</p>
<p>Julie's head jerked up like she hadn't expected to be asked anything. Her eyes were wide and her lips parted in surprise as she turned to the boys, all three of them waiting for her answer.</p>
<p>"Oh, um, I don't have a soulmate."</p>
<p>Her lips twitched into a smile for half a second before giving up and trying to turn back to the movie. But it was too late.</p>
<p>"Ah, shit, sorry Julie," Alex said, pushing himself off the couch so he could get closer, crouching by her feet. "And here I've been, talking about Willie all week like a jerk.”</p>
<p>The stiffness in Julie's shoulders melted, a soft sad smile taking up her face. "No, Alex, you don't need to be sorry for being happy." Her hands reached out, hovering over his shoulders like they could pretend she was holding them. "I'm so glad you found Willie- you deserve to have that chance with someone."</p>
<p>"Yeah but-" Reggie shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "You deserve that chance too, Julie."</p>
<p>Julie looked away for a moment, her hands reaching up to her face, and when she looked back Luke was mortified to realize that she was crying. He'd made Julie cry.</p>
<p>He didn't even think, just appearing on the other side of Julie so now she was surrounded by the three of them. </p>
<p>"Julie I'm so sorry," he said, his voice rough as he tried to get the words out. "I shouldn't have assumed-"</p>
<p>"No, no," she waved her hands in front of her face, cutting him off. "I promise I'm not crying because of you guys it's just-" She wiped away another stray tear as she took a breath. "Talking about this stuff just reminded me of my mum."</p>
<p>Luke winced, not quite knowing what to say to that. Apparently neither did Alex or Reggie as the three of them hovered awkwardly but Julie didn't seem to mind.</p>
<p>"My mum used to tell me that I didn't have to have a soulmate when I had music." Julie was looking down at her lap, which was a relief when Reggie and Alex's heads both snapped towards Luke. He wanted to glare at them but he was transfixed by the small smile on Julie's lips. "She told me that if I could write the songs that got stuck in people's heads then it would be kind of like I was part of that bond too."</p>
<p>The three boys were quiet for a few moments, the faint murmuring of the long forgotten movie playing in the background, until Reggie spoke.</p>
<p>"That's really beautiful," he said, his fingers pressing into the couch cushion an inch from Julie's thigh.</p>
<p>Julie choked out a small laugh but a real smile curled on her lips. "I always thought so too." She glanced up at the three of them shyly. "Sorry I didn't tell you guys, I just don't talk about it much because it makes people uncomfortable."</p>
<p>Alex chuckled softly. "You don't need to worry about making us uncomfortable, Julie. I'm sure you've figured by now but I didn't have any of that soulmate stuff when I was alive and- uh." He cut himself off but Luke shrugged.</p>
<p>"And I don't have a soulmate either," Luke continued. He smiled when Julie looked up at him, hoping to erase the sad frown on her face. "What your mum told you, I really like that."</p>
<p>This time her smile stayed as she rubbed her nose and rolled her eyes. “Thanks, sorry for ruining the movie.”</p>
<p>Alex snorted. “Serves us right for letting Reggie pick.”</p>
<p>“Hey!”</p>
<p>They couldn’t restrain their laughter as Reggie pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. It seemed to melt the last of the melancholy from her face as her gaze drifted to each of their faces.</p>
<p>"I wish I could hug you guys," she whispered, like she was telling them a secret.</p>
<p>Luke's heart stuttered in his chest, his fingers digging into the arm of the sofa as a single desire flooded his entire being. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice just as quiet. “We wish we could hug you too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Luke had a song stuck in his head and it was driving him absolutely nuts. It wasn’t like Luke was unfamiliar with catchy songs, in fact he hoped he had maybe written one or two, but this was another level entirely. He didn’t know how or why a single line of a song about taking a horse to a hotel road or whatever had gotten into his head but he suspected Reggie. If it was Reggie’s fault then Luke was going to find out if ghosts had ghosts.</p>
<p>That’s how Alex found him, sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands as he tried to will the song from his mind. His songbook was open in front of him, a pen keeping the book on a page that had all of two lines written- he’d been working on it for three hours.</p>
<p>“Hey Luke,” he called as he walked through the door and then stopped, a worried frown taking over his face. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, looking up at the blonde and waving a hand. “I’ve just got this stupid song stuck in my head.”</p>
<p>Alex snorted. “Is it that weird western rap song?” Luke’s head snapped up, relief flooding him as if knowing the song would get rid of it, and Alex laughed. “Yeah, Carlos has been playing it loud enough to, you know, wake the dead. Impressed that you can hear it though.” He paused, tilting his head as if thinking. “And weird- I don’t hear anything.”</p>
<p>Luke shrugged, a smirk stretching across his face. “Maybe you missed out on the superghost hearing.”</p>
<p>An irritated huff erupted from Alex as he shoved Luke in the chest and collapsed on the sofa beside him. “Anyway,” he says. “Julie and Reggie are on their way.”</p>
<p>As if he had summoned them, the door to the studio swung open and Reggie stepped through the solid wall beside it. Luke watched Julie as she slipped through the gap, a hand on her head as if to ward off a headache.</p>
<p>“I’m just saying.” Reggie’s entire focus is on Julie and it quickly becomes obvious what her headache may be. “Western rap is an untapped market. Carlos would back me up here.”</p>
<p>“Reggie,” Julie sighed, closing the door behind her and trying to be patient. “If you’re really looking for someone to help you write rap then you need to speak to Flynn.”</p>
<p>Reggie perked up, a smile creeping across his face. “Flynn. Alright, yeah- she’s going to love this.”</p>
<p>Julie grinned at him, though Luke suspects it’s more at the delighted look on his face, before clapping her hands together. “Awesome. Now, do you guys wanna practice? Cause I have to hear absolutely anything that isn’t Old Town Road.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A harmony appears in Luke’s head the day after the house party. It’s nothing fancy, and completely expected after the show the previous night. He always thought that his and Julie’s voices complimented each other, had thought so from the first time he heard her sing, and he can’t say this this would be the first song that had been inspired by her singing but-</p>
<p>But the melodies he came up with didn’t usually involve keyboards. At least, not to start off with.</p>
<p>Honestly, he had bigger things to worry about. Willie had just told them that if they didn’t want to vanish then they had two options; selling their souls or completing their unfinished business. Nothing too complicated, of course. Just the gig they had worked towards for years when they were alive. </p>
<p>With all that on his mind Luke shouldn’t have had time for music, not when his very existence was on the line. But it was almost like muscle memory, how he found himself pulling out his songbook and writing down the words that he dug from his mind. It felt like he was discovering them one by one, melodies forming and changing even as he wrote.</p>
<p>His heart raced in his chest and it wasn’t difficult to understand why. Julie was incredible and talented and when she sang Luke felt like he couldn’t breathe. He glanced down at the last line he wrote.</p>
<p>
  <em>A bittersweet love story about a girl.</em>
</p>
<p>Luke scowled at the line, like it was the very root of all the misfortune in his life. What would it have been like, he wondered, to have met Julie in 1995. It hurt a little to think about but he could almost imagine it.</p>
<p>Would it have been at one of their gigs? He knew that Julie liked Sunset Curve’s music but she was so short, and quiet when she wasn’t on stage. It would be awfully easy for her to get lost in the crowd. </p>
<p>Maybe she might’ve walked past when they were stubborn enough to play outside a club in hopes of impressing the owner. Maybe she would’ve paused, would’ve made her friends wait until they finished their song. Would she have smiled at him, her eyes looking up through her lashes in that soft little grin that made his heart stutter in his chest? Would he have asked the guys for a break, just for a chance to talk to her? He could imagine pressing a copy of their demo into her hands, his number scrawled on the back. </p>
<p>Would she call? Would she whisper to him in secret, through the phone late one night, that she wrote music, that she sang? He knew that he would’ve begged to hear it, instantly drawn in by the lure of a new song. Would he…</p>
<p>Would she…</p>
<p>Could they have…</p>
<p>Luke was snapped from his thoughts by a flash of light as Reggie landed in front of him.</p>
<p>“Well,” Reggie said, dusting off his hands as his eyes landed on Luke. “I’m getting better at that at least.”</p>
<p>It took a moment for Luke to shake off his daze, but he quickly caught himself, flashing Reggie a grin as his bandmate slid into the seat next to him. It just wasn’t quick enough.</p>
<p>“Dude.” Reggie frowned at him, his hand clapping Luke on the back. “Are you doing alright?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Luke said, casually flicking his book shut and sitting back. “Yeah, I’m good. You?”</p>
<p>Reggie rolled his eyes, a lopsided frown revealing his genuine concern. “Luke, we’ve known each other since forever. Come on.”</p>
<p>Luke froze. Was he really that obvious? Did everyone know? Reggie and Alex had been pretty insistent about that whole chemistry thing yesterday but he thought that he had managed to at least get them to back off for a bit-</p>
<p>“I know you’re worried about this jolt stuff,” Reggie said, his hand shifting until he was giving Luke a one armed hug. “But it’ll work out, this stuff always does.”</p>
<p>Luke’s shoulders relaxed, melting into the hug slightly as he gave a small sigh of relief. A pinprick of guilt wormed its way into his stomach. He <em>was</em> worried about the Caleb thing, it was just that he let himself get distracted for a moment. “That’s some big talk for a ghost,” he finally managed, Reggie’s frown transforming into something just a little lighter. He clapped Luke on the shoulder before standing back up.</p>
<p>“Ah, I don’t know. I feel like everything’s worked out fairly well for us so far,” he shrugged. “We’re together. We can still play. We met Julie.” His smile turned into a smirk. “And I mean if it was actually <em>Julie</em> that has you moping like this then I guess I could understand-”</p>
<p>Luke grabbed one of the pillows and threw it at Reggie but the bassist poofed away before it had a chance to connect, the sound of his laughter still ringing in Luke’s ears.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Things were different now that Julie had saved the boys, but not enough that practicing while she was at school wasn’t still risky business. There was no way Luke could work on this song while she was here though, so it was now or never. Alex had decided to spend the day with Willie, and Reggie wanted to check out Carlos’ school, leaving Luke alone. He fully intended to take full advantage of it.</p>
<p>He spent the first few hours quietly fiddling with his guitar, trying to write down the perfect chords to replicate the melody in his head. He sat back once he had finished scribbling the last few changes into his book, his hand running itself through his hair as his eyes scanned the page. It didn’t sound done. And that was obvious, there was only so much he could do with a guitar. There was definitely a backbeat missing that the pre chorus desperately needed and he could tell he needed a keyboard, just to flesh out the sound but for now…</p>
<p>Luke sighed and began from the chorus, adding the lyrics that felt like they had been seared into his brain.</p>
<p>“Woah, woah, in perfect harmony,” he sang softly, his fingers plucking at the strings. “Woah, woah, in perfect harmony.”</p>
<p>He sighed as his fingers slowed to a stop. Even his voice couldn’t add enough to the song. He’d known that from the start though- it had always meant to be a duet.</p>
<p>“Wow, uh, that’s different.”</p>
<p>Luke’s head snapped around as he jumped up, alarm sparking in his veins as his eyes landed on Alex and Reggie standing just in front of the piano. Alex sighed, his entire body deflating with disappointment as he cuffed Reggie over the head.</p>
<p>“Good one Reginald,” he muttered as Reggie hissed in pain.</p>
<p>Luke stood up, his guitar hanging free from his shoulders. “What are you guys doing here?”</p>
<p>Reggie scoffed and walked over to the sofa, throwing himself down into the cushions. “We live here too, remember?” He shuffled in the seat for a moment before looking back up at Luke. “Since we’re doing twenty questions. What were you playing?”</p>
<p>“A song.” Luke’s throat felt tight, his fingers nervously fiddling with the strap of his guitar.</p>
<p>“Mhmm. A song,” Luke’s gaze snapped back to Alex as he approached, hands raised with an apology already on his face. “Reggie’s right, it sounds different.”</p>
<p>Luke scratched a hand at his shoulder as he sat back down, his eyes not quite meeting either of the boys. “I mean, it is different- sound. It’s a different sound.”</p>
<p>Reggie and Alex shared a glance, something that they had been doing more and more these days. Luke would be irritated, if it wasn’t for the fact that he knew these boys like the back of his hand. Did they really think he didn’t know what they were thinking?</p>
<p>“Need any help with that song?” Reggie asked, aiming for nonchalance and landing on awkward.</p>
<p>“Not really.”</p>
<p>“Come on Luke,” Alex sighed, taking a seat next to Reggie and spreading his hands. “You know we won’t judge. We just wanna know what’s going on.”</p>
<p>Luke’s first instinct was to go on the defensive, sitting straighter in his seat, his jaw clenched as he tried to figure out what to say. It only lasted a moment though, just long enough for him to realize that what he wanted was to talk to someone about it. Thinking about this song led to thinking about Julie and sometimes just the thought of her alone was enough to make him feel like his chest was going to explode.</p>
<p>“It’s- uh. It’s a love song,” he said, his shoulders slumping and his eyes forcefully training themselves on the middle of the floor.</p>
<p>His eyes flickered up as Reggie let out a groan, catching him rub at his arm as Alex’s elbow retreated back to his side. But it was Alex that spoke first. </p>
<p>“About Julie?”</p>
<p>Luke nodded.</p>
<p>“Luke, man.” Reggie’s voice sounded confused. “You know we’re happy for you, right? For both of you?”</p>
<p>He shook his head, his jaw locked as he bit down on the inside of his cheek. “It’s- it’s not that.” It was so hard getting the words out. “I- She. Julie deserves better than-” Luke was growing frustrated. He didn’t have the words, only feelings and he didn’t know how to explain the swirling mixture of hope and want and fear.</p>
<p>“Luke.” Alex’s voice brought him back, his eyes insistent. “Just play the song.”</p>
<p>He was right, Luke realized as he pressed his fingers to the strings, Alex was always right. His throat was tight as he began playing but he forced the lyrics out, quickly slipping into the music.</p>
<p>“The truth is finally breaking through.” It was like his voice was a release of pressure, the pain in his chest finally easing as he stood from his seat, his eyes closing as he played. “Two worlds collide when I’m with you. Our voices rise and soar so high.” His throat felt raw from the emotion but it felt so good. Why had he ever tried to hide this from Alex and Reggie? They were his family, he trusted them with his life. “We come to life when we’re in-”</p>
<p>“What’s going on?”</p>
<p>Luke’s throat dried up, his tongue feeling like lead in his mouth. His eyes snapped open, instantly landing on a twin pair of guilty expressions and Alex’s lips in that crooked half smile that always meant ‘you’ll thank me later.’ </p>
<p>He trusted them with his life, but perhaps his afterlife was too much to ask for.</p>
<p>Luke’s fingers fell from the guitar, leaving it hanging as he turned slowly to face Julie. She hovered in the doorway, her expression vulnerable and lost, and Luke didn’t know what to do.</p>
<p>He pulled the guitar over his head, leaning it against the couch as he stepped towards her. “Julie-”</p>
<p>“No. What are you doing?” She asked again, her voice wobbling slightly as she spoke. “Why are you playing that song?”</p>
<p>Luke’s worry melted away, only to be replaced with confusion. “Ah, sorry. I know you said not to play when you’re not here but I was just fiddling with a new song-”</p>
<p>“That’s my song,” she snapped, her voice turning to steel as she cut him off and her cheeks flushed with anger. “Were you going through my dream box again?”</p>
<p>Luke’s head spun. “I didn’t- What do you mean that’s your song?”</p>
<p>The question tripped Julie up for a moment, a hand crossing over her chest to rub nervously at her shoulder as she bit down on her lip. But then she breathed in and stepped forward, her jaw set like she was preparing for a fight.</p>
<p>“I’ve been writing that song since the house party,” she said, a frown creasing her brow. “If you didn’t take it from my dream box then-”</p>
<p>“Wait.” Luke waved his hands before him and closed his eyes. He needed a moment, just one moment. “The house party?” He didn’t wait for an answer, walking over to the coffee table and snatching his songbook off it with one hand. “You’ve been writing this song?”</p>
<p>He handed the book to her, not quite recalling the exact meaning of the song until Julie had finished reading half a page.</p>
<p>“This is my song word, for word,” she whispered, her confused gaze rising to meet Luke’s. “Even the notes about the keyboard and the guitar and the traps for the-”</p>
<p>“For the pre chorus?” Luke nodded, stepping closer so he could look at the page over her shoulder. “What about the split for the lines?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, for the duet,” she nodded, pointing to the scribbled brackets next to some of the lines. “For you and-”</p>
<p>It seemed to come back to her all at once, her body shying away from him as she realized what she was admitting to. It was cute.</p>
<p>“Molina,” Luke said her name softly, fondness clear in his voice as he fought a smile. “Were you writing me a love song?”</p>
<p>Julie refused to look up at him as she thrust his book into his chest. Luke fumbled with it for a moment but he wouldn't let her retreat from him, mimicking her step back with a step forward.</p>
<p>“From the looks of it, you were writing <em>me</em> a love song,” she said, her eyes finally leaving the floor and glaring up at him. “And not even an original one at that.”</p>
<p>Luke scoffed, but finally relented and stepped back, shaking his head. “It doesn’t make sense, have you been humming it or did I overhear you singing it in your room-”</p>
<p>“No. God no.” Julie rubbed a hand over her forehead. “I was only working on it at school for this reason. Did you follow me or-”</p>
<p>“No.” Luke cut her off as his hands landed on his head, as if to pull the information from his brain. “Like I told you, it just appeared in my head-”</p>
<p>“Oh my god.”</p>
<p>Alex’s voice cut through the two of them arguing, forcing the pair to look at him. Alex’s arm was slung over Reggie’s shoulder and his hand was clamped firmly over his mouth, much to Reggie’s obvious irritation. Reggie's jaw moved and Alex's arm recoiled, hissing in disgust as he rubbed it against his shirt.</p>
<p>"Please tell me you're both smarter than this,” Reggie pleaded, fighting Alex off as he tried desperately to slam his hand over Reggie’s mouth a second time. “Alex. Get off!”</p>
<p>Luke and Julie glanced at each other before turning back to the two squabbling boys.</p>
<p>“No,” Alex hissed, half his body weight pressing down on Reggie in an attempt to hold him still. “You’re gonna ruin it!”</p>
<p>“Guys,” Julie said as she stepped forward. “What’s going on?”</p>
<p>“Look at them.” Reggie flung his arm out towards Luke and Julie but otherwise ignoring them completely. “He’s about to say something like <em>‘guess your writing style is rubbing off on me.’</em>” Reggie’s poor imitation of Luke made him want to object, but he was right so Luke decided the wisest decision was probably just to stay quiet. </p>
<p>Julie didn’t have the same opinion, her loud sigh cutting through the boys’ argument. “Reggie can you please just spit it out?”</p>
<p>“Isn’t it obvious-” Alex finally managed to get his hand over Reggie’s mouth but this time Reggie was prepared, biting down. Alex yelped, his entire body recoiling from Reggie, and, taking the opportunity, Reggie finally blurted, “You’re soulmates!”</p>
<p>A soulmate. His soulmate.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Julie whispered, Luke turning around just in time to catch her hand press over her mouth as her eyes darted back and forth, unseeing. “Oh. I see.”</p>
<p>“Julie?” Luke could hear the hesitance in his own voice, </p>
<p>“I mean- it makes sense,” she said, her fingers playing together as she speaks. “We work so well together sometimes I feel like, well, like we both have the same song in our heads.” </p>
<p>The last few weeks click into place, the flood of inspiration that Luke had felt, it was all because of Julie. Luke can’t help but look down at the songbook in his hands, a chuckle slipping from his lips as his thumb brushed across his lyrics.</p>
<p>… Julie’s lyrics?</p>
<p>Distantly, he can tell that Alex and Reggie have shut up for the first time since they arrived but his entire focus is on Julie. Her bun sits lopsided on the top of her head, a few stray curls slipping from the tie as she chews on her lips. Luke feels like he doesn’t have control over himself as he steps towards her.</p>
<p>He reaches out his hand like an offering, his fingers curling upwards and Julie looks up at him. A smile curls on her cheeks as she recognises the gesture and she reaches back. This time her fingers meet his sending warmth racing up his arm.</p>
<p>“Interesting,” she murmurs and Luke can’t help but laugh.</p>
<p>“Well, at least it’s not boring,” he says, his smile spreading as happiness floods his chest and he tugs her in for a hug.</p>
<p>He holds her close, just taking in the fact that he has a <em>soulmate</em> and that it’s <em>Julie</em>. He thinks about the dreams he had when he was alive and how <em>this girl</em> was making them come true and he falls a little deeper, a little harder. He hopes that he has further to go.</p>
<p>They stay like that for a moment, just the two of them, until an uncomfortable shuffling catches Luke’s ear. He doesn’t look, just holds out an arm and he can hear Alex and Reggie rush to jump from the couch. The pair of them crash into Luke and Julie, their arms slinging over their shoulders and the force rocks their whole huddle. It sparks a laugh from Julie and the three boys can't do anything but join her. With their foreheads pressed together, grins wide enough to hurt and laughter leaking from them, Luke feels content. These are the people he needs, his ride or die, and then he looks across at Julie and sees the gleam to her eyes and for the first time since he died he hopes for something more. </p>
<p>Something that feels like a future.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Luke discovers that finding your soulmate isn't quite like the movies. Everything feels like too big a step for them when they've only just learnt what it feels like to touch each other, but it does lend itself to quiet moments. To lingering goodbyes and smiles just reserved for each other. To knees touching when they sit on the couch and knuckles brushing as they walk.</p>
<p>And eventually it leads to a songwriting session in the studio as they try to scribble out a melody that has been running through both their heads for the last few days. And maybe that session runs a little late, maybe it's filled with coy glances and bashful smiles. And maybe, just maybe, when Luke walks Julie to the door of her house their bodies lean just slightly closer and he whispers a single question into the cool night air. </p>
<p>"Is it okay if I kiss you?"</p>
<p>There's no maybe in Julie's hopeful gaze that peers up at him from beneath her lashes as she nods.</p>
<p>The kiss is shy and soft and sweet. It's filled with nerves and dreams and fears and Luke can't help but think back to when he was a child and he had decided that his soulmate was music. He kisses Julie a second time and his heart sings and he thinks he may have been right all along.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much to my dear sister for helping me out with ideas and editing for this fic! She had one demand and that was that I let you all know that the song Alex heard from Willie was Uptown Funk.</p>
<p>Thank you all for reading &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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